Scout master owners...

hi,

nice table!!

my 45 rpm wheel (the larger one is at the bottom) about 1/4 inch away from the platter. my pc comes in underneath the plinth from the back straight on in to the motor. also, i placed my motor on a mouse pad cut to size to reduce motor vibration. it works amazingly well for this purpose. my scoutmaster sits on a 2" thick maple wood block which sits on (4 )of the cork/rubber isolation sandwich pads on top of the rack shelf which eliminates any floor vibrations from being picked up by the cartridge.

but, i do use a vpi frequency speed controller with 33/45 rpm switching (it is not necessary to change the belt on the pulley to change speeds) & i use a kab strobe light & disk set for occasional speed correction for complete accuracy every few months. a strobe is must have accessory for me but a lot of people can set pitch to their own good hearing.

if you do not have a speed controller, the distance of the fly wheel from the platter may depend on the belt elastisity (stretched or not) & maybe the 33 rpm fly wheel pulley groove you set the belt in may have an effect on the speed. a strobe will come in handy in setting the speed. but, i am not qualified to comment on moving the motor or changing the belt on the fly wheel pulley. my 45 rpm fly wheel is 1/4 inch because i do not have a very wide maple wood block so i can only stretch it so far. this works fine for me at 1/4 inch since i use the vpi speed controller for precise speed with the kab strobe system & i don't have to fiddle with motor distance or pulley changes.

you may want to consider investing in or borrowing a decent easy to read strobe set. you can preserve belt life by taking it off the fly wheel if you are not going to use your scoutmaster for a while. i use mine too frequently to do this unless i remember to take it off & reduce the stretching factor if i go away for a month or three.

call or email vpi. they are very helpful wih questions of this nature & the info should be in the instructions.

good luck & enjoy the vinyl.

VPI says motor housing should be .25 inch outside of the side of the table. Mine is .50 inch. I use the stock PC cause, like you say, others don't fit under there. Just make sure you don't bump the pulley. Close tolerances there. I can't tell if mine is spinning, or not!

Good morning,

I owned a Scout and the setup is very similar. I placed my square motor about 1/4" away from all three sides. Keep in mind that the belt is very flexible (just like a rubber band), thus it allows some leeway as to the distance. Your motor is also very heavy and is not going to move if you have it even 1/2" away from all three sides.
In addition, it would be a good idea to pre-order another belt, just to have one in reserve and also to replace your current one after a year of using it.

I just used the power cable that came with the motor.

Just pull the motor out until the belt is taught, but mot tight. If it is too tight, you will start hearing noise caused by the belt putting a horizontal force on the pulley/motor axle. The motor will be a little farther out if you use the black belt versus the clear one. (but see below)

The power cord.

Fist, you will need a cord with an IEC with a square body, such as the Furuteck 15A (which I use) or the Schurter. Next, you must adjust the height of the table, motor, and pulley so that there is enough clearance between the IEC and the underneath of the plinth (and the pulley is at the correct height with respect to the platter) Next, Make sure that the motor is close enough to the platter that the IEC doesn't contact the back left foot of the table (I suggest you use the clear belt). The power cord must be flexible and light enough that it doesn't pull on the motor or transfer vibration to the stand.

Don't worry. Once you have i right, you won't have to do it again :-)

Seems like a poor choice by VPI, putting the receptical under the plinth. I wonder if a right angle plug would fit?